Origin of Diesel Engine is in Fire Piston of Mountainous People lived in Southeast Asia
Masanori OGATA* and Yorikazu SHIMOTSUMA**
*Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kansai University, 3-3-35, Yamate-cho, Suita, 564-8680 Osaka, Japan, E-mail: ogata@ipcku, kansai-u.ac.jp
**Professor Emeritus of Kansai University
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Abstract:
People who live in the mountainous area in Southeast Asia have performed ground-burnt-off cultivation from ancient times in the mountainous region covered by tropical rain forests. It is also carried out widely around the Kalimantan Island even now. Since it rains mostly, the climate of these islands is humid. Therefore, maintenance of a fire is difficult. In these areas, the fire piston was invented at ancient times and it has been used for many years. A piston is quickly driven into a cylinder of small bore and air is compressed. The high temperature generated by it lights tinder at the tip of a piston. Professor Linde of Munchen Technische Hochschule is famous for invention of the refrigerating machine in 1873. He gave a lecture on the Pinang island in Southeast Asia, and got the fire piston as a souvenir. He performed the returning-home-from-abroad report lecture in school. At this time, Professor Linde lit a cigarette with the fire piston. Diesel who was looking at it has sensed that the principle of a fire piston can apply to ignition of an internal combustion engine. Europe of those days was the midst of development competition of an internal combustion engine and an automobile. Diesel did theoretical research about the internal combustion engines. He applied for the patent and obtained at Britain in 1892 and after, at Germany in 1893. Then, he invented the world's first self-ignition internal combustion engine after extraordinary efforts. The principle of a Diesel engine can be said to be in the fire piston that is the tool of a life of the mountainous people lived in Southeast Asia.
Key Words: History of Technology, Fire Piston, Ground-burnt-off for Cultivation, Southeast Asia, Carl von Linde, Rudolf Diesel, Diesel Engine, Internal Combustion Engine, High Thermal Efficiency, Low CO2 Emission, Deutsches Museum, Conservatoire National des Arts et Metier, Science Museum
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